The story of last Winter was dominated by one of the strongest El Niño patterns in recent memory, but according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), La Niña is expected to make a return by the end of summer.
The last La Niña occurred during Winter ’22/’23 and led to record-breaking snowfall totals for ski areas from California to Colorado. See below.
u/backcountryduff via r/skiing
With the seemingly annual flip-flopping of weather patterns over the last few winters, the question on every skier’s remains- ‘What does La Niña mean for the Winter ’24/’25 ski season?’
Thanks to predictive models recently published by NOAA, we’re getting our first glimpse into how La Niña could shake out.
To start, NOAA has released Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Outlooks for December 2024-February 2025 (the bulk of the season). See below.
NOAA Seasonal/Precipitation Outlook Winter ’24/’25
It’s important to note that while these models are subject to change with time, they reflect elements of how a typical La Niña pattern dictates weather across the country.
According to NOAA, La Niña patterns typically lead to drier and warmer winters in the south, and colder and wetter winters to the north.
“La Niña means Little Girl in Spanish. La Niña is also sometimes called El Viejo, anti-El Niño, or simply “a cold event.” La Niña has the opposite effect of El Niño. During La Niña events, trade winds are even stronger than usual, pushing more warm water toward Asia. Off the west coast of the Americas, upwelling increases, bringing cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface.
These cold waters in the Pacific push the jet stream northward. This tends to lead to drought in the southern U.S. and heavy rains and flooding in the Pacific Northwest and Canada. During a La Niña year, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the South and cooler than normal in the North. La Niña can also lead to a more severe hurricane season.” –NOAA
NOAA
The most recent La Niña winter was the record-breaking season of ’22/’23. Cooler-than-average temperatures and above-average storms, in terms of total moisture, blanketed mountains from The Sierra Nevada to the Rockies.
The Winter of ’98/’99 was another example of a strong La Niña year that saw Mt. Baker Ski Area, WA total an unfathomable 1,140 inches of snow. The record still stands globally as the most snow recorded by a ski resort in a single season.
Related: Strava Is Turning Off Fatmap – What That Means For Skiers
Will Winter ’24/’25 be another record-breaking season for ski resorts like Palisades Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain, and Alta Ski Area? That remains to be determined, but early signs are pointing towards a fruitfully cold and wet season for ski resorts across the American intermountain west.
Stay tuned in here at POWDER Magazine throughout the summer, Fall, and winter as we track La Niña, and what could be another memorable season.
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Source Agencies
